Percy Jackson and the Scorned Sword
by Ancient Arbiter
Summary: What many thought to be a regular sword turned out to be a weapon that was almost as old the gods themselves. Now Percy has to learn how to it's power the sword has to offer and try to control the influence it has on him. (I will be continuing the story in this account.)
1. Chapter 1

Hey just to clear the air I am Magna Prime but I have to re post my old stories in this name so don't think I'm stealing the story.

Chapter 1

From the first moment I laid eyes on Zoe Nightshade a strange voice inside my head kept telling me not to trust her. But the truth behind that was not reviled to me till I meet Riptide the ancient of death and sea. It truly started during the night before me and my crew entered the junkyard for the Gods. My patience for things was getting lower by the minute as Zoe and Grover were complaining about stupid things. Then as if things couldn't get worse I almost got run over by a limo with that contained a fat headed moron named Ares the God of war. Ares smiled cruelly,

"Not so fast now are ya punk?"

"Get that sword outta my face before i shove it up your ass." The war god looked even madder but when he saw the others he said

"At ease people. This is a friendly visit," he dug the sword deeper into my chin, "and of course I'd like to take your head for a trophy. But someone wants to see you and I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

"Thalia daughter of Zeus" Ares mused, "you're not hanging out with very good company."

"What's your business Ares?" she asked "who's in the car?" I really honestly lost care after that and I tried to think who would want to see me. So when he finally got rid of the others he instructed me into the limo.

"Get inside punk and mind your manners she's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am"

"Ya right" I said. When I saw her I felt like nothing more than a lost boy who had just found a home of his own. The beauty woman no Goddess was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was the most beautiful that I had ever see and that gave her away.

"Ah there you are Percy" the goddess said "I am Aphrodite."

"Oh please forgive my rude behavior with Ares m'lady we're not on agreeable terms." I don't usually act like that around girls but hey I felt I had to be the gentleman. She smiled

"Aren't you sweet, hold this please." She handed me a plate sized mirror before she leaned forward to dab at her lipstick. "Do you Know why your here She asked me.

"No" I said trying not to sound to rude.

"Oh poor dear you're still in denial." Outside I could hear Ares chuckling.

"Forgive me but i'm not sure what you mean."

"Well then tell me why you're on this quest?"

"Do you want the record or off record reason?"

"Do tell me both" she said sounding like I gave her a seductive invite.

"On record to save Artemis, off record to truly understand what is going on with me."

"Oh Artemis please talk about a hopeless case, but what do you mean by the other reason."

"I have been getting angry easy and I have been especially mad at Zoe. I feel nothing but he need to fight and any other emotion is useless."

"Even love?" Aphrodite asked.

"I am sorry to say yes I have lost my love for others with the exception of my mom, my brother Tyson,and my dad Poseidon. Anyone else close to me I fell nothing."

"Well that can't do you can't turn out like those hunters you have too much going for you." She was quiet for a minute then her face turned to pure shock. "Your heart has been sealed from me that have never happened before not even Hestia or Artemis have been able to do that. Hum you are truly a mystery Percy; your story has just become an even one." She made me set the mirror down before she spoke again looking deep in my eyes. "Now Percy do be careful in my husbands territory he doesn't like thieves who take his junk. Suddenly my side door opened and Ares grabs my shoulder so out of reflexives I grabbed his arm and drained the water out of his arm. He let me go as his arm looked mummified and in my palm I held the water that I drained from him.

"I believe you should ask to see if the lady was done talking before snatching me out of the car."

"No you may go Percy" she said before giving me a amazing parting gift; she grabbed my shirt and kissed me. "Just remember once that wall is gone I have big plans to make your love life a legend."

"Well thank you for your time and till next time m'lady." Ares gave me a stupid talk about how he'd love to kill me but since i'll bring a great war he couldn't. Yeah right I beat he was more afraid of what I did to his arm to try anything before I threw the water in his face. Later after the the group returned and we were transported into the junk yard I told them what happened, well I did leave some parts out. They told me not to trust Aphrodite, and Ispat that I trusted her more than I trust the hunters. I looking around the junk yard to see mounds of cool stuff.

"So were to" Grover asked?

"That way" Zoe said pointing west.

"Then i'm going that way I pointed in the opposite and walked away. I search through some of the stuff and found several things that I actually like. There was a sapphire colored speeder bike that after looking over was in perfect condition; heck there were several scratch marks that formed a large Trident on both sides, the whole thing looked like it was made for me or dad. The next thing I saw was a metal hand that looked like it didn't belong. So pulling it out and a whole futuristic looking robot fell on me.

I pushed it off and saw something weird, what looked to be it's brain had to be pushed out of it's head so pushing it back in placed the robot came to life. It's eyes shot open and then looked at me

"Hello" it said.

"Hi. Ah who or what are you?"

"I am a nester NS5 my name is Sonny."

"Sonny why you in a junk yard?"

"I am unique, I trust you know the three laws of robots."

"Yeah" I said remembering that movie about the robot who worked it's way to being human, with that actor who was funny.

"I can choose if I want to obey them."

"Cool i'm Percy Jackson ...look obviously you shouldn't be here so you want to come with me?"

"I would like that thank you Percy." We got on my new bike and rode to the exit, I was surprised sonny's weight didn't affect the speed. I then heard what I assumed to be Zoe cry out Talos. I turned the bike around and drove as fast as the bike could carry us to the battle. As I got there I saw Bianca clime into the tin can and it then came falling down. I quickly got off and searched for her but Sonny said it was to late. The sun rose and I felt grief fall onto me, I then noticed a little statue on the ground. I picked it up and put it in my pocket . I could not believe she was dead and that the last thing I said to her was that I didn't trust her.

"Bianca Di Angelo was gone and I didn't do anything to save her" I cried. Sonny put a hand on my shoulder and said

"it'll be alright"

"Thanks sonny" I said not really feeling like it was true. My bike had transformed into a small capsule and after introducing Sonny to the others we decided we needed some rest. We set up camp and got some sleep while Sonny took watch. When I closed my eyes I reopened them to found myself on a beach that was odd for a desert.

"Hello Percy glad you came to see me" a man in a unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, swim trunks, blue sandals, and designer shades; he kind of looked like a older twin of me.

"Who are you?"

"I am Anaklusmos or Riptide as you prefer to use my english name, anyway i'm the reason for the change you have be feeling."

"Why"I asked?

"Because I want the one who killed me to feel the same pain I felt and so you don't get the same outcome as I did. Percy I am a zanpakuto or a sword spirit if you prefer and since you are the first to truly wield me you have the possibility to use my powers. But we must bind our souls in order for you to truly gain this power. Percy do you trust me to do so to save the world of the living?"

"Yes you saved my life so many times I place myself in you hands do with me as you must."

"Draw your sword." I did as instructed, "now you must pierce yourself with it to bind our souls." I did as instructed and a huge wave of power flowed over me. Very good now call on me. But Percy remember retreat and you will age, hesitate and you will die, and those who abandon their friends are worse then scum. Stand firm do not give a inch now shout my name!"

"**Ride the waves Anaklusmos**" doing that my sword glowed bright before it changed into a beautiful sapphire colored trident.

"I am a water Zanpakto as such powers of water are greater than that of some of the older divines of the sea. Since I am now a part of your soul you poses powers over death like that of Hades. A example would be you can even save people from dying like that Bianca girl. If you hurry now, i'll lead you there. I suddenly shot my eyes open and dashed to the rubble and then I heard crying. I turned to see Bianca crying while a chain was attached to her chest.

"Bianca?" I asked she turned to see me.

"Percy are you dead?" she asked me.

"No, but i'm here to save you from death"

"How?" she asked me.

"First where's your body?" She lead me to her body and then I cut her soul chain as Riptide called it. I then used the bottom side of my sword as I was instructed again and she suddenly disappeared, I did the same with her body and got the same results.

"Good now go on and I can handle the rest. Now i'd say she'll be back to life in some time soon" Riptide said in my mind as I walked back to the others.

"So why do you hate Zoe" I asked?

"She was every thing to me and she betrayed me so I do not trust her."

"And the others?"

"They are just like her they'll betray you in anyway that you could imagine and I know you could imagine."

"Bianca didn't."

"She betrayed her brother but she also has some potential for redemption so I trust you'll be kind to her in her when she's released."

"Okay" I said before I was deep in my own thought. "So Zoe betrayed him and he feels I must distant myself from others so I didn't get hurt?"

Sorry if it is the same as before but like I said I have to re post them here so the first few chapters will be the same. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry that this wasn't with the reload that I did but I have to edit the chapters some. I own nothing but Riptide's Shinkai.

**"Riptide** **talk"**

Chapter 2

When we made it to the edge of the dump we happen to stumble on a tow truck so old it must have been made of rust. The engine did worked so Grover, Sunny, and the girls rode in the truck while I took my bike with. I must say that seeing Sonny drive the truck was a weird sight. But since the skeletons are still looking out for us and we had the mist so we could hide easy. A little later the truck ran out of gas while my cycle hadn't lost any. There was still a lot of desert when they had to stop; Grover asked if we should ride on my bike.

"Sorry but I can only hold two and only I drive my bike."

"Well Sonny were's west" Thalia asked? I was actually glad the others were getting used to having Sonny around. We traveled for awhile till we got to a closed conao rental. we decided to borrowed two but before we hit the water Thalia pulled me aside.

"Thanks back there"

"What for keeping you form going up a high point? That was no problem."

"So can you control those rough waves?"

"Yeah my control over water has grown vastly in the past few days."

"Percy would you ride with Zoe" she asked. I just gave her a, are you as dumb as Ares look.

"Please I don't know if I can stand being in the same boat with her."

"Percy please she's...she's starting to worry me."

"Really guess she's getting a taste of her own meds than."

"Percy what did she do to deserve this from you?"

"Not to me, she somehow betrayed Riptide and he's still mad."I stated turning to get to the water.

"Riptide... your sword?"

"Yes he's something called a Zanpakuto, a sword spirit."

"Oh, so he's mad at her?" she said sounding like she thought I crazy.

"Yeah he won't tell me what happened but he seems to still care."

"**Bull to the shit**."

"Anyway since he is apart of my soul I project his anger out."

"So does that mean if someone betrays you go mean on them?"

"Hell to the no. I'll beat the life out of them and drain evert last drop of water out of their body before I kill them." She looked surprised.

"Well don't worry I won't betray" you she said smiling to me.

"We'll see about that" I thought. At that second I remembered that I did actually like her, "I'll get Sonny to go with her he seems like he could help more than I can."

"Thanks' I owe you two one."

"Him one me two."

"1 1/2" that got us both smiling again. Grover rode with Thalia while Sonny rode with Zoe and me; I discovered that I could turn Riptide into a surf board so I paddled on that. Ir turned out I didn't have control the currents because of the naiads that were staring at me.

"Hey there can you help my friends out" I asked. The girls made some bubbles that I assumed they were laughing. They did as I asked and pushed the boats forward while me I just moved myself.

"I hate naiads" Zoe grumbled after one sprayed water and it hit her in the face. "She-devils" She snarled.

"Sonny don't pick up any of her ways."

"Why?" my metal buddy asked I moved forward and whisper into what I assumed to be his ear.

"Cause she's nothing but a backstabbing moron who hangs out with a bunch of little girls."

"Oh okay Percy" Sonny said.

"what'd he say robot" Zoe asked in a stern voice.

"My name is Sonny."

"Sonny what did he say?"

"That you were a back stabber who hangs with little girls." I could not believe the reaction we got form the backstabbing part; her face was priceless, eye widen and jaw dropped so wide she could drink the whole stream.

"Bet she was not expecting that" I thought. she was in a deep thought as it seems she didn't know who we meant.

"So what's your family like." Sonny asked.

"My mom was a sea goddess Pleione, I had four sisters The Hesperides. My Dads Atlas and when I helped a hero I was exiled and forgotten so I joined The Hunters Artemis."

"I could see tears in her eyes, so I did something I never would have thought I would do; I sat on my board and hugged her. She didn't seem to resist and I felt right for a few seconds.

**"A double sided sword can hurt the prey and the predator."** I then heard some gurgles and looking ahead to see Hover Dam,

"Damn" said as I released Zoe. I'll tell you when you're on a dam; dam jokes are hilarious. Sadly only Zoe and Sonny didn't seem to get them humor. Shortly later I meet the sea cow again who seemed to need to tell me something but I couldn't understand wjat it was saying. Then I got skeletons chasing my butt and I ran into a redhead girl. I tried to use the mist to cover up the scene but somehow it didn't work,

"What's your name?"

"Reachel Elizabeth Dare."

"Percy, now I got to find a place to hide."

"Try the boy's room" she said,

"Thanks" I said rushing in. I heard her lead my bonny chaser away so I could come out.

"Thanks got to go" I said running outta there. I ran till I found my team at food court.

"We got to go" I said running up to them, Zoe looked around.

"He's right let's move" she said. We tried to run but we soon got surrounded. That's when Sonny knelt down and opened a pocket I never saw before. He pulled out a gun. Sonney has amazing aim and I couldn't have asked for a better partner. He took care of all excepted one that yanked me far to the side. I rose to my feet and the bone bag ran up to me. He leaped up at me and kicked me in the face. The bone man then rose to his feet and with a mace. He swung it around and then hit me in the jaw knocking me into a souvenir stand. I rose to my feet and grabbed him before I tossed him into one as well. We rolled a bit till he was over me landing some hits. So I grabbed my sword and started cutting his bones apart in micro pieces.

Once I finished I walked up the stairs to the others as my sword turned back into a pen.

"Well that was a pain" I said.

"So how we moving now?" Thalia asked. I turned my head to the river and raising the tide up some. I tossed Riptide into it.

"What are you doing?" Grover's asked.

"I see no logic in this too" Sonny said. Then there eyes grew wide as they saw the tide come level to us and a long surf board was there waiting for us.

"Anybody ever Fantastic Four rise of the Silver Surfer?"

**Please review**


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the real chapter three for you all my loyal readers.

Chapter 3

"Tell me when it's over" Thalia said grabbing hold of my arm as if she was going to die if she didn't. I was glad Zeus didn't blast use. Well technically we were riding a wave from the water all around us. Even if I had to make water out of the air, to pass the time I told them of how I got out of both the skeletons fights and how I meet Rachael. Turned out she was someone who could see through the mist. Later we meet old Nereus another connected to the sea Shame he didn't have as much control as I did. It just took dehydrating hid body to beat him. So I got my question what was the beast we were supposed to find, turns out it was out Bessie.

Grover called it the Ophiotaurus, Zoe said it was a animal that when sacrifices could grant power to over throw the gods. Then came the arrival of Dr. thorn and some monsters. He spoke of how Thalia would use Bessie's power to destroy her dad. Only problem was she was considering it. I tried the friendly approach but when I saw she may well betray us I snapped. So I press my sword against her neck, and said

"Thaila Grace let me remind you. Betray me. I'll kill you before for you can kill that cow." The tone was frightening even I was scared heck she, Grover, and Zoe looked like they wet themselves. Grover played his pips to try and calm her down.

"Stop him" Thorn said sending two guys after Grover. Sonny just got his gun and fired right between their eyes while I went for Thron. We both fell over a hill and he hit me in the face a few times before I hit him there too and we fell over a hill again. When he got up he tried to grab me but I rolled to my feet and dodged so then hiding behind a bridge leg, I waited for him. I grew my sword and when he tried again I cut his arm off and then stabbed him in the head. I tossed his body to the side and went to join the others. Wish I could have told you the rest was easy but life was not so easy for me. We had to run just to make it to the sun set. But we also had to keep Bessie safe so we sent Grover to guild him to the Long Island. So I prayed to my dad to escort the two safely in the sea,but it required a sacrifice as Thalia told me.

So I decided to offer the lion skin,

"Percy are you sure. That lion skin. That can be really helpful. Hercules used it". That's when I realized something, something big. That's the name I hated most of all.

"Hercules can burn in hell for all I care I don't need this" I said tossing the skin into the water. This got allot of open mouths. "Hold your nose goat man" I said signaling the water.

"Good luck to you" Sonny said waving them off. I would've sent Sonny with them but since he had a sharp eye and a hard metal body he was a better course to keep. For getting to the sun set I was tempted to use just ride bike there. But only me and Sonny could ride. Since only I can start it, I don't want anyone else on it, and my surf board would never get us there in time.

"So how can we get to my sisters' garden?"

"We need a car I stated looking at the sun."But there's nobody to help us here unless we, borrowed one" I stated turning to them.

"I know someone who could help" Thalia said.

"Who"I asked. Thalia pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up,

"Professor Chase, Annabeth's dad." After hearing Annabeth gripe about her dad for two years, I was expecting him to be hollow like what riptide told me of. Finding him wasn't hard so after the gang made it to his house. I was not expecting him to be wearing an old-fashioned aviator's cap and goggles.

"Hello," he said in a friendly voice, "Are you delivering my airplanes?" Thalia, Zoe, Sunny and I looked at each other warily.

"No, sir," I stated not liking to be called a delivery boy (been there done that, hint hint).

"Drat," he said. "I need three more Sopwith Camels."

"Right," I said, though I had no clue what he was talking about. "We're friends of Annabeth."

"Annabeth?" He straightened as if I'd just given him an electric shock treatment. "Is she all right? Has something happened?" None of us answered, but our faces must've told him that something was very wrong. He took off his cap and goggles. He had sandy-colored hair like Annabeth and intense brown eyes. He was handsome, I guess, for an older guy. But it looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple of days, and his shirt was buttoned wrong, so one side of his collar stuck up higher than the other side. "You'd better come in," he said, it didn't look like a house they'd just moved into. There were LEGO robots on the stairs and two cats sleeping on the sofa in the living room. The coffee table was stacked with magazines, and a little kid's winter coat was spread on the floor. The whole house smelled like fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies. There was jazz music coming from the kitchen. It seemed like a messy, happy kind of home the kind of place that had been lived in forever.

"Dad!" a little boy screamed. "He's taking apart my robots!"

"Bobby," Dr. Chase called absently, "don't take apart your brother's robots."

"I'm Bobby," the little boy protested. "He's Matthew", I just meet the kid and I could tell I liked him already.

"Matthew," Dr. Chase called, "don't take apart your brother's robots!" "Okay, Dad!" Dr. Chase turned to us. "We'll go upstairs to my study. This way."

"Honey?" a woman called, Annabeth's step mom I assumed appeared in the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She was a pretty Asian woman with red highlighted hair tied in a bun."Who are our guests?" she asked. "Oh," Dr. Chase said. "This is " He stared at us blankly.

"Greetings m'lady I am Perseus Jackson; this is Thalia Grace, Zoe Nightshade, and my friend Sunny."

"They came about Annabeth" Dr. Chase said, I half expected Mrs. Chase to turn into a raving lunatic at the mention of her stepdaughter, but she just pursed her lips and looked concerned. "All right. Go on up to the study and I'll bring you some food." She smiled at me. "Nice meeting you, Percy. I've heard a lot about you." she said as we went upstairs.

"Would you like so help" Sunny asked Mrs. Chase.

"Why thank you ah Sunny right?"

"Indeed mam" sunny responded following the woman. Upstairs, we walked into Dr. Chase's study and I said,

"Whoa!" The room was wall-to-wall books, but what really caught my attention were the war toys. There was a huge table with miniature tanks and soldiers fighting along a blue painted river, with hills and fake trees and stuff. Old-fashioned biplanes hung on strings from the ceiling, tilted at crazy angles like they were in the middle of a dogfight. Dr. Chase smiled.

"Yes. The Third Battle of Ypres. I'm writing a paper, you see, on the use of Sopwith Camels to strafe enemy lines. I believe they played a much greater role than they've been given credit for."

"Really?" I said not really caring what he was talking about. He plucked a biplane from its string and swept it across the battlefield, making airplane engine noises as he knocked down little German soldiers. I knew Annabeth's dad was a professor of military history, but she'd never mentioned he played with toy soldiers. Zoe came over and studied the battlefield.

"The German lines were farther from the river." Dr. Chase stared at her.

"How do you know that?"

"I was there," she said matter-of-factly. "Artemis wanted to show us how horrible war was, the way mortal men fight each other. And how foolish, too. The battle was a complete waste."

"That wasn't the only thing" I muttered under my breath. Dr. Chase opened his mouth in shock.

"You "

"She's a Hunter, sir," Thalia said. "But that's not why we're here. We need ."

"You saw the Sopwith Camels?" Dr. Chase said. "How many were there? What formations did they fly?"

"Sir," Thalia broke in again. "Annabeth is in danger." That got his attention. He set the biplane down.

"Of course," he said. "tell me everything." It wasn't easy, but we tried; well as much as I could on my part. Meanwhile, the afternoon light was fading outside. We were running out of time. When we'd finished, Dr. Chase collapsed in his leather recliner. He laced his hands. "My poor brave Annabeth. We must hurry." he stated like he really did care; well he did to me at least.

"Sir, we need transportation to Mount Tamaulipas," Zoe said. "And we need it immediately."

"I'll drive you. Hmm. it would be faster to fly in my Camel, but it only seats two."

"Whoa, you have an actual biplane?" I asked.

"down at Crissy Field," Dr. Chase said proudly. "That's the reason I had to move here. My sponsor is a private collector with some of the finest World War I relics in the world. He let me restore the Sopwith Camel ."

"Sir," Thalia said. "Just a car would be great, and it might be better if we went without you. It's too dangerous." Dr. Chase frowned uncomfortably.

"Now wait a minute, young lady. Annabeth is my daughter; dangerous or not, I I can't just "

"Snacks," Mrs. Chase announced as she pushed through the door with a tray full of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and Cokes and cookies fresh out of the oven, with sunny following behind. The chocolate chips were still gooey and I inhaled a few cookies while Zoe said,

"I can drive, sir; i'm not as young as I look and I promise not to destroy your car." Mrs. Chase knit her eyebrows.

"What's this about?"

"Annabeth is in danger," Dr. Chase said. "On Mount Tam. I would drive them, but apparently it's no place for mortals." It sounded like it was really hard for him to get that last part out.

"Please were all mortals here well except for Zoe since she can only die in battle "I stated getting a look from Zoe."Besides that, you got a family to look after and if you died with us i'm sure the effects wouldn't be good for your kids" I finished. I waited for Mrs. Chase to say no. I mean, what mortal parent would allow three underage teenagers to borrow their car? To my surprise, Mrs. Chase nodded.

"Then they'd better get going,"

"right!" Dr. Chase said jumped up and started patting his pockets, "My keys ." His wife sighed.

"Frederick, honestly. You'd lose your head if it weren't wrapped inside your aviator hat; the keys are hanging on the peg by the front door."

"Right!" Dr. Chase said. Zoe grabbed a sandwich.

"Thank you both. We should go. Now" We hustled out the door and down the stairs, the Chases right behind us.

"Percy," Mrs. Chase called as I was leaving, "tell Annabeth Tell her she still has a home here, will you? Remind her of that." I took one last look at the messy living room, Annabeth's half brothers spilling LEGOs and arguing, and the smell of cookies filling the air. Not a bad place, I thought.

"I'll tell her," I promised because I could tell they weren't as bad as Annabeth had told me about. We ran out to the yellow VW convertible parked in the driveway. The sun was going down. I figured we had less than an hour to save Annabeth.

"What are you standing about for" Dr,Chase asked.

"I need to get my ride out" I said taking out a small canister. Setting it down it suddenly changed into my bike,

"Wow that was amazing,"

"And it doesn't run on gas" I stated driving off.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Thalia demanded, Zoe glared at her.

"I cannot control traffic."

"You both sound like my mother," I said. to the side of them.

"Shut up!" they said in unison, Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge.

"We are running out of time" sunny said as the sun was sinking on the horizon. When we finally got into Marin County and exited the highway. The roads were insanely narrow; winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines, Zoe didn't slow down at all.

"Why does everything smell like cough drops?" I yeald.

"Eucalyptus." Zoe pointed to the huge trees all around us.

"The stuff koala bears eat?" I asked.

"And monsters," she said, "They love chewing the leaves. Especially dragons."

"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?" I asked,

"Believe me," Zoe said, "if you had dragon breath, you would chew eucalyptus too." I didn't question her, but I did keep my eyes peeled more closely as we drove. Ahead of us loomed Mount Tamaulipas, I assumed. In terms of mountains, it was a small one, but it looked plenty huge as we were driving toward it.

"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" I asked driving up toward them,

"Yes," Zoe said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?" she was silent for almost a mile before answering.

"After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus, Kronos's right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperidins."

"The General?" I said. Clouds seemed to be swirling around its peak, as though the mountain was drawing them in, spinning them like a top. "What's going on up there? A storm?" Zoe didn't answer, I got the feeling she knew exactly what the clouds meant, and she didn't like it.

"We have to concentrate," Thalia said. "The Mist is really strong here." "The magical kind or the natural kind?" I asked,

"Both" Thalia stated.

The gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountain, and we kept driving straight toward them. We were out of the forest now, into wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog. I happened to glance down at the ocean as we passed a scenic curve, and I saw something that made me jump out of my seat

"Look!" But we turned a corner and the ocean disappeared behind the hills.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white ship," I said. "Docked near the beach. It looked like a cruise ship." Her eyes widened. "Luke's ship?" I wanted to say I wasn't sure. It might be a coincidence. But I knew better I wasn't stupid, The Princess Andromeda, Luke's demon cruise ship, was docked at that beach. That's why he'd sent his ship all the way down to the Panama Canal, it was the only way to sail it from the East Coast to California.

"We will have company, then," Zoe said grimly. "Kronos's army."

I was about to answer, when suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Thalia shouted.

"Stop the car. NOW!" Zoe must've sensed something was wrong, because she slammed on the brakes without question. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff. "Out!" Thalia yeald opening the door and pushed sunny out. They both rolled onto the pavement with sunny holding onto her, the next second: BOOOM! Lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted like a canary-yellow grenade. Which caused me to lose control and fall of my bike causing it to revert to a capsule. I probably would've been killed by shrapnel except for Thalia's shield, which appeared over me my guess she tossed it over me since sunny was covering her. I heard a sound like metal ram, and when I opened my eyes, we were surrounded by wreckage. Part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the street. The smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the road.

I swallowed the taste of smoke out of my mouth, and looked at Thalia; I don't think the insurance will cover this.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand" she muttered. "Curse him. He would destroy me? Me?" It took me a second to realize she was talking about her dad.

"Oh, hey, that couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt, No way;" and I should know I had held it before.

"Whose, then?" Thalia demanded.

"I don't know Zoe said Kronos's name. Maybe he " Thalia shook her head, looking angry and stunned.

"No. That wasn't it."

"Wait, Where's Zoe?" I said wanting to make sure she didn't die on my watch. We all got up and ran around the blasted VW. Nothing inside, nothing either direction down the road, I looked down the cliff, no sign of her."Zoe!" I shouted. Then she was standing right next to me, pulling me by my arm.

"Silence, fool! Do you want to wake Ladon?"

"You mean we're here?" I asked surprised and annoyed that she was giving me orders.

"Very close," she said, "follow me." Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road, Zoe stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there, Thalia and I looked at each other and Sunny had a look I hadn't seen him wear yet.

"Concentrate on Zoe," Thalia advised."We are following her. Go straight into the fog and keep that in mind."

"Wait, Thalia, about what happened back on the pier I mean, with the manticore and the sacrifice. "

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You wouldn't actually have you know", she hesitated.

"I was just shocked, that's all"

"Zeus didn't send that lightning bolt at the car; it was Kronos he's trying to manipulate you, make you angry at your dad." She took a deep breath.

"Percy, I know you're trying to make me feel better, thanks, but come on we need to go."

"I wasn't trying to make you feel better I was trying to warn you that I won't hesitate to bring you down if you double cross me." She stopped in her tracks as I continued into the fog, into the Mist. When the fog cleared, I was still on the side of the mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker the sunset made a blood red slash across the sea and the summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of us and it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight, just like I'd seen in my dream.

If it hadn't been for the enormous dragon, the garden would've been the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. Grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples, and I don't mean yellow golden apples like in the grocery store.

"The apples of immortality," Thalia said rejoining me, "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus." I wanted to step right up and pluck one, except for the dragon coiled around the tree. Now, I don't know what you think of when I say dragon, whatever it is, it's not scary enough. The serpent's body was as thick as a booster rocket; glinting with coppery scales he had more heads than I could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together.

He appeared to be asleep as the heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed. Then the shadows in front of us began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. I reached for Riptide, but Zoe stopped my hand. Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons their skin was like caramel silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. It was strange, but I'd never realized how beautiful Zoe was until I saw her siblings, the Hesperides. They looked just like Zoe gorgeous, and probably very dangerous.

"Sisters," Zoe said.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see one half-blood, a robot, a Hunter and a soul reaper walking. All of whom shall soon die."

"You've got that wrong." I stepped forward, "Nobody is going to die on my watch." The girls studied me they had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.

"Perseus Jackson," one of them said.

"Yes," mused another.

"I do not see why he is a threat." a different one said.

"Give me a minute and you'll see why I am" I stated getting a look from everyone. The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain.

"They fear thee; they are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee." She pointed at Thalia.

"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend,"

"As if you could" I stated.

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

"Not without Annabeth," Thalia said,

"And Artemis," Zoe said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him only the soul reaper has the power to fight him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted "Let us pass." The girl shook her head.

"You have no rights here anymore we have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.

"No? and what about thy so-called friends?"

"Fine with me, hey dragon wake up" I yeald and again they all gave me surprised looks even Sunny. The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies, The Hesperides yelped and scattered, The lead girl said to me,

"Are you mad?"

"You don't seem to have any courage," I said. "and that is your problem."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoe, don't," Thalia said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore, he'll kill you,"

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden and go up the mountain, as long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"But you're not I am let me handle him I can give him a good run for its money" I stated.

"No this is the only way," she said. "even the four of us together cannot fight him." Ladon opened his mouths, the sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down my back, and that was before his breath hit me. The smell was like acid and it made my eyes burn, my skin crawl, and my hair stand on end. I remembered the time a rat had died inside our apartment wall in New York in the middle of the summer. This stench was like that, except a hundred times stronger, and mixed with the smell of chewed eucalyptus.

I drew my sword and then I remembered my dream of Zoe and Hercules, and how Hercules had failed in a head-on assault. I decided to trust Zoe's judgment. Thalia and Sunny went left. I went right. Zoe walked straight toward the monster.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said.

"Zoe has come back." Thalia said,

Ladon shifted forward, and then back some of the mouths closed, some kept hissing in Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered.

"Fool."

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?" the dragon's eyes glinted. Thalia, Sunny and I were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, I could see a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world. We'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. I felt the dragon's mood shift maybe Zoe got too close; maybe the dragon realized he was hungry; whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoe. Two thousand years of training kept her alive she dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath. I pointed Riptide as the dragon to help, "No!" Zoe panted.

"Run!" Sunny said grabbing his gun while Thalia uncovering Aegis and the dragon hissed.

There's the real chapter three for you hope you enjoyed it and please review.


	4. Chapter 4 Titan vs Shinigami

Here's Chapter 4 I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 4 : Titan vs Shinigami

I was about to use shinkai when suddenly the dragon submitted to me and began to lick me sword. In the moment of indecision Zoe sprinted past us up the mountain. That was when a voice could be heard in my head and it wasn't Riptide.

"Be strong Lord of death as I cannot help you or the fairest of the sisters. I must protect the tree and can not leave it unguarded."

"Landon?" I asked,

"Yes and trust me Shinigami we will meet again" Landon said in my mind as I followed the group. We ran up the mountain as the Hesperides resumed their song in the shadows behind us, the music didn't sound so beautiful to me now; more like the sound track for a funeral. At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.

"Yes," Zoe said, "It was not here before, this is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" I asked.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoe said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was-" She winced and held her side.

"You're hurt let me see," I said, after riptide told me too check on it.

"No! It is nothing, I was saying in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces."

"But how is it here?" Thalia looked around cautiously as we picked our way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways.

"It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, Onthis Mountain, is not good."

"This is Atlas's mountain," Sunny said.

"Where he holds-" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he used to hold up the sky." We reached the summit. And a few yards ahead of us, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains this is what I had seen in my dream. It hadn't been a cavern roof that Artemis was forced to hold; it was the roof of the world.

"My lady!" Zoe rushed forward. but Artemis said.

"Stop! It is a trap you must leave now." Her voice was strained and was drenched in sweat now I had never seen a goddess in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis. Zoe was crying and ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains. A booming voice spoke behind us.

"Ah, how touching." We turned. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat. I met her eyes, trying to ask her a thousand questions. There was just one message she was sending me, though: RUN "Luke, Thalia snarled.

"Let her go." Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked even worse than he had three days ago in D.C.

"That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again." Thalia spat at him. The General chuckled.

"So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second, you're Atlas" I asked not really believing what I saw. The General glanced at me.

"So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods congratulations I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"Sunny the sword and the dracaenae" I snarled, and in a several flashes the dracaenae were dust and Luke's sword was a few feet away. Sunny brought the gun to his mouth and blew the smoke away.

"Oh who's this tin can" Atlas asked?

"My name is Sunny and I a friend of Percy's, now I suggest you let the girls go before you coast yourself a price you can't pay."

"Oh the thing's got guts but you have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter." I frowned.

"A family matter?" I asked.

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father!"

"So what? Poseidon's my dad and he's the son of Kronos who's Atlas's brother so we're all family here so try again." Atlas approached us, studying Thalia and me.

"So these are the best heroes of the age, eh, not much of a challenge" He snarled.

"Fight us and let's see" I said ready to show and crush them with riptide's power.

"Have the gods taught you nothing...an immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity so I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," I said knowing if I could get him mad he would get careless and be than much easier to take down. Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred and with difficulty; he turned his attention to Thalia.

"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. If I didn't hate his guts so much, I almost would've felt sorry for him; okay I wouldn't have had.

"Thalia, you still can join us just call the Ophiotaurus and it will come to you. Look!" He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. I could imagine Bessie in that pool, in fact, the more I thought about it, the more I was sure I could hear Bessie mooing.

"Don't think about him!" Grover's voice said in my mind cause the empathy link. I could feel his emotions he was on the verge of panic." I'm losing Bessie block the thoughts!" I tried to make my mind go blank; I tried to think about basketball players, skateboards, the different kinds of candy in my mom's shop anything but Bessie.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted, "and you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke " Her voice was full of pain, "what happened to you?" "Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us they have no right to rule the world!" Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth...let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times the three of us together fighting for a better world, please, Thalia, if you don't agree "His voice faltered."It's my last chance he will use the other way if you don't agree...please."I didn't know what he meant, but the fear in his voice sounded real enough I believed that Luke was in danger. His life depended on Thalia's joining his cause and I was concerned Thalia might believe it.

"Do not, Thalia," Zoe warned "we must fight them." Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp a sacrificial flame.

"Thalia," I said. "Remember what I said the gods may be bad rulers but the titans would be worst and don't forget what I told you before." Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow as it did; I saw images in the mist all around us: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around us, made of fear and shadow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak." He pointed toward the ocean, and my heart fell marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaena and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things I couldn't even name. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, many more than I'd seen on board last summer. And they were marching toward us. In a few minutes, they would be here. "This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself all we need is your help. For a moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him. Then she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke...I don't know you anymore." "Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded "please...don't make me Don't make him destroy you." There was not much time if that army got to the top of the hill, they would be overwhelmed. I met Annabeth's eyes again She nodded so I looked at Thalia and Zoe, and I decided it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to die fighting with friends like this.

"No!" I said. "Together, we fight. It's been a honner to fight with you two." As we ran Thalia went straight for Luke The power of her shield was great but despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick and went for his sword. He snarled like a wild animal garbing it and counterattacked when his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power. As for me, I did the courageous and stupidest thing in my life, which is saying a lot, I attacked the Titan Lord Atlas. He laughed as I approached a huge javelin appeared in his hands, his silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor.

"Come on, then" Atlas said.

"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!" I knew what she was warning me about; Chiron had told me long ago: Immortals are constrained by ancient rules. But a hero can go anywhere; challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve. Once I attacked, however, Atlas was free to attack back directly, with all his might. And well my sword suddenly failed me and allowed Atlas to grab me.

"Come here sea spawn" Atlas said grabbing me and lifting me up in the air so I fired ice blasts at him.

"You wanna piece of me? You wanna piece" I shouted.

"No I want two" Atlas said ripping me in half. Everyone was silent they couldn't believe I had just been ripped in two. Only Atlas looks Joyful, "Hahaha I killed the Son of Poseidan" he laughed. Then they heard a noise that was a motorcycle and light blinded them to only see a figure. The lights went off and there stood a teen in full body armor with designer shades on. The guy removed the shades to revile sea green eyes.

"Atlas" he said.

"Impossible I killed you" he said.

"No you killed that" I pointed to puddles of water he was a Water clone a replica used so I could armor up."

"Well I killed you once I can kill you again?"

"Just try" I said but then a thought came to mind. "Luke how would you like to see a new toy of mine?" Luke smirked.

"Let's see it."

"Fine just swear on the river Styx not to tell anyone else." I got swears outta everyone there. So I said raising my sword and spoke in a calm like the sea voice **"Ride the waves Anaklusmos".** Suddenly a stormed formed and the water that was near it came to it. When the water was finally fully absorbed I held my blue trident again. Everyone was speechless at what they saw. "This is the power Zoe had thrown away and what Hercules gave up. This is Riptides true form. Now convert." The trident turned into water, reshaped and hardened into sword. "Now Atlas by the end of this night one shall stand one shall kneel." Atlas gripped his spear.

"You fight for the weak. That's why you'll always lose" he snarled jabbing at me. I blocked with my sword. Since I was now using Riptides power Atlas felt weaker to me. I knocked him back so I could dash behind a rock and creating another clone. We went toward our assignments. Percy went toward Artemis, "Need a relief m'lady" I said since I was still had to be a gentleman with women who hasn't wronged me.

"No you don't know what you're asking for."

"M'lady I just knocked Atlas over, his strength is nothing compared to mine." I removed her chains and slide her out of the way. I've made some mistakes before but this was the dumbest one yet. I lost my sight and I couldn't see what was going on. While he was holding the sky I had Atlas on the ropes especially since now with Artemis, me, Zoe, and Sonny we were winning. I heard Luke talking smack and I really wanted to shut him up so summoning some water I made a water trident a chucked it at Luke who got caught in-between the spikes and came crashing into the sea. Sonny continued to fire in weak spots and Zoe shot in Atlas's armor cracks. Artemis managed to trip Atlas but he did the same to her and was about to deliver the finally blow when Zoe leaped between the two and shot an arrow in-between his eyes. Atlas was belling in rage and was about to back hand her when a trident stabbed his hand.

Standing in front of Zoe was Riptide manifested. **"Hello Zoe been many years traitor"** Riptide said turning to face Atlas who used his other hand and hit Riptide who got sent back with Zoe behind him the two landed on the black rocks.

"Sonny take care of them" I ordered. Sonny did as I said with Thalia going to Annabeth. Artemis shoved Atlas spear into the ground then side kicked Atlas toward the other. Once he was practically on top of Percy he turned into a puddle. So Atlas had to take the sky. I started chanting some words that I didn't know why I was. Then I said **"Bakado 98 sai seal.** That will keep him there unless I release that seal." Artemis rushed Zoe's side and was surprised to see Riptide wasn't there.

"That really hurt?" I thought to him.

"**Damn right that pimp can bitch slap.**" Riptide said to me. Zoe was in bad shape and Kronos's army was are the rise and I really starting to get mad. So I used more of Riptides power and drained the water out of thousands of the army. Then to my surprise someone came in and got who I didn't. Artemis got use outta that mess when she had her moon chariot take us to a safe place. We landed shortly later and after we did Annabeth was getting all emotional seeing her dad help save us. I was really getting annoyed and had to say it.

"Okay you two. Doc your trying to play kiss up and she doing the same cause you saved her life and let's face it once this is over your probably never going to see each other." Annabeth couldn't believe what I just said and I really didn't care. Sonny started telling them that I was under the weather and some other lies so I went to Zoe. "How's she doing?" I asked.

"Not good" Artemis said.

**"Percy she can't heal her but you can. Remove the poison and use our water to heal the damage."** I bent down to her side and placed my hand on her gash. Artemis grabbed my shoulder,

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me. Water is one of the main tools used in healing so I know what to do." I did as instructed and in a few seconds later Zoe though still week was alive.

"How" Atremis asked.

"Water is everywhere and in almost everything and I've learned to control water better." Zoe woke with a surprised look on her face she looked to Artemis.

"No Zo it was Percy who saved your life." I could tell she was looking for me but she saw it was Thalia who she saw first.

"Thalia I'm sorry we argued we could have been like sisters."

"It's my fault you were right Luke, heroes, men-everything."

"No Thalia not all are. Percy is one example and I'm just as bad as Hercules for what I did to Riptide."

"What did you do?" Thalia asked.

"I gave riptide away and never bothered to see what happened to him."

"Him? The sword's alive?" Artemis asked.

"Yes. He's a Zanpakuto. A sword spirit that has great power over water and I turned my back on him." she started to cry. Riptide materialized for her and nested to her.

**"I have dreamed of the day you felt what you did to me, you were everything to me. When you left me to die I was furious but Zoe I forgive you my old friend. you will always be important to me."** He said embracing her.

"Percy treat him better than I did."

"**Don't worry Zozo we'll be fine.**" He said before fading away back to my soul. Zoe smiled.

"How long has it been since I heard you call me that?"

"Zoe sorry for the way I acted he was-." I started.

"It's okay Percy."

So After Artemis left we had to get to Olympus. That was when blackjack came into the scene,

"Yo boss you manage to stay alive without me?"

"Don't get me started" I grumbled. I don't know why I was still in that foul mood.

"I brought Guido and Porkpie with me."

"Yeah listen who's the strongest?"

"Blackjack" the other two quickly spouted.

"Well blackjack I need you to carry Sunny while the others carry the other teens."

"How much dose he weigh?"

"Ha don't know. We'll see ya at Olympus " I said diving over a cliff.

"Percy no" Annabeth yield rushing to the side of the cliff. Only to see me driving on harden water I made that lead to the sea.

There's the last chapter that was already written. I'll have a new chapter out soon so please keep an eye out for it and if you have any ideas or suggestion please P.M. me. Also to give you heads up history is about to repeat it'self in this story. Please review.


	5. Chapter 5 Things Change

Greetings. I noticed this story was over due for a update so here it is.

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Chapter 5. Things change

I drove through the sea and then water traveled to a fountain on Olympus. Again Olympus amazed me in beauty. In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from blood red to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. I caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things I couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Everyone looked at me weird as I returned my bike to it's portable form. I felt that I was radiating spirit energy as Riptide called it. I took several breaths and it lowered greatly. I walked to the palace and was greeted by the sight of the pegasi setting my friends down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. Before I could even think to knock, the gates opened by themselves.

"Good luck, boss," Blackjack said.

"Yeah." I said but I didn't have a sense of humor at the moment.

"Hey, if ya don't come back, can I have your cabin for my stable?" I looked at the pegasus. "Just a thought," he said. "Sorry." Blackjack and his friends flew off, leaving Thalia, Annabeth, Sunny, Zoe, and me alone.

"Let's move" I said walking into the palace. Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations. All of the gods and goddess were present and I was ready in case this escalated into a fight.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!" Bessie cried in a sphere of water that was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw us, he cried.

"You made it!"

"Was there ever any doubt?" I said smirking at him. He started to run toward me, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover he was staring intently at Thalia. Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled. I looked at my father, Poseidon. He was dressed similar to the last time I'd seen him: beach shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. He had a weathered, suntanned face with a dark beard and deep green eyes. I wasn't sure how he would feel about seeing me again, but the corners of his eyes crinkled with smile lines. He nodded as if to say it's okay. And I felt the love for my father as a son could return to me.

I smirked and waved at him. Grover gave Annabeth and Thalia big hugs. He avoided Sunny and Zoe as I could tell he was scared of them. He then he grasped my arms.

"Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Don't worry." I said.

"Heroes," Artemis called. The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn-haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward us, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight. "The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told us. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

"I trust you didn't say too much" I whispered to her. She nodded her head stating she didn't tell them about me or Riptide. There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.

"At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes..."She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?" She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually.

Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera. On Zeus's right, my father Poseidon. Next to him The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus. Hermes winked at me. He was wearing a business suit today, checking messages on his caduceus mobile phone.

Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on, so I wasn't sure he was even listening, but he gave me a thumbs-up. Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grape vine between his fingers. And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at me while he sharpened a knife. I held up my hand at him and he grew pale and then angry.

Sitting next to Hera was Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena. Then there was Aphrodite, who smiled at me knowingly and then mouthed the words 'i'm waiting.'

"I gotta say"-Apollo broke the silence-"these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and

began to recite: "Heroes win laurels-"

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?" A few tentative hands went up-Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and me. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here-"

"Ares-" Poseidon was interrupted as was the gravity in the room grew heavier, the air grew thin, and it was hard to see. The gods straightened themselves to adjust to the pressure. The Demigods laid on the floor struggling to breath. Zoe was on her knees and Sunny didn't seem fazed.

"This is spiritual pressure." Zeus said widened eyes. I stopped it and allowed the others to recover. Zoe walked up to me and slapped the back of my head.

"You ass you could've killed them."

"Hey they want to kill me."

"That doesn't mean you had to exert you spiritual pressure."

"Sorry." I grumbled.

"Percy that was you?" my dad asked.

"Yes."

" How?"

"Riptide is a Zanpakuto. And he merged with my soul to give me this power to stop Luke and his army."

"Then we can't remove the power and now we have the power of the soul reapers on our side." my dad said clearly happy.

"What are you happy about that power can just as well kill us." Zeus spat.

"What? Annabeth asked.

"The power Percy has gained is that of the Japaneses gods Kami, Yami, and Shinigami. All deal with death."

"It was my sword at first sir. I take responsibility for it" Zoe said.

"Do you have any of it's powers?" Zeus asked. Zoe dug into her pocket and pulled out a star pendant. I felt her exert some and a bow made of energy formed.

"I can't call on Riptide but I can use some of it's power to make as my own."

"Zoe how long have you had this?" Artemis asked.

"Forgive m'lady but I thought it best not to say as you might get mad and banish me." Zoe said hanging her head down.

"No Zoe, i'm not mad just surprised is all" Zoe nodded her head and stood by Artemis's throne.

"Hello Sunny." Hephaestus spoke.

"Hello father." Sunny responded.

"I must say i'm surprised to see you here. But I am glad you are. You have done well. I could use you help at my forge."

"Forgive me father, but I must decline as I feel my place is with Percy." The god nodded his head in approval.

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two."

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you-" Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look.

"It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods... such as Thalia and now especially Percy... are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'-"

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down. "Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later." Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

"I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"Really?" I asked.

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said in cold sweat. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"Don't call me sis! I will reward them."

"If you do kill Percy all he need do is collect Thalia's soul and get two gigais then all your work would be for nothing." Zoe said.

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps we shouldn't after being reminded of that. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?" A lot of nodding heads.

"Mooooooo!" Bessie protested.

"Dad," I said, "he's just a sea creature. You can't destroy him." Poseidon shifted uncomfortably.

"Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or-"

" I can create a kido to keep it from being killed."

"You know Kido?" He asked.

"Indeed. Because of that Atlas can't be free from his prison." Artemis stated.

"Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as... as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It's wrong!" I spat. Zeus seemed to consider this. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia.

"And what are the risks?" He asked.

"None but it will take time to make it." I said"

"You have to trust him," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust him." Zeus scowled.

"Trust a hero?"

"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately." Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear. "Would shall have a new 2nd lieutenant," she announced. "If she will accept it."

"M'lady?" Zoe Asked.

"She will be my third in command Zoe. Now Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?" Stunned silence filled the room. I stared at Thalia, unable to believe what I was hearing. Annabeth smiled. She squeezed Thalia's hand and let it go, as if she'd been expecting this all along.

"I will," Thalia said firmly.

"WHAT?" I spat.

Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well-"

"Father," she said. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again." She knelt before the goddess and began the words of that oath, what seemed like so long ago. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men..."

Afterward, Thalia did something that surprised me almost as much as the pledge. She came over to me, smiled, and in front of the whole assembly, she gave me a big hug. That was when I snapped. I pushed her off me and she rolled into the foot of Zeus's throne.

"Percy what are you doing Annabeth asked.

"Hgh" I shouted silencing her. Thalia got up stomped up to my face.

"What's your problem " She spat in anger.

"I risked my life to save you and for what?" I said making her walk backwards and I followed. "So you can play hunting with them while i'm stuck with the prophecy your to scared to take." I said the last part shoving her back down.

"Percy stop." Annabeth cried out.

"Stay out of this Blondie. She lied and now has to face the consequences." I said venom in my words.

Percy. I must join the Hunt, I haven't known peace since... since Half-Blood Hill. And I finally feel like I have a home."

"I call bullshit" I said

"But you're a hero. You will be the one of the prophecy." She cried

"Double bullshit " I said. That got several laughs out of some gods and goddess. "From now on Grace you are dead to me." Thalia got up and went to stand by Artemis's side tears clearly filled her eyes.

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis said to change the subject.

"This boy just assaulted your hunter and you're not going to do any thing? He is still dangerous," Dionysus asked.

"Sadly I will do nothing about this as it is not my business."

"What?" Zeus bellowed.

"It is a long story and it is not mine to tell." Artemis said calmly.

"Well the beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy-" Dionysus started

"The Ophiotaurus is under my protection and I won't have it killed." I stated.

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"I'm only fourteen," I said. "If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years."

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."

"Mother!" Annabeth said, fearing what I might do.

"It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy." Athena finished. My father stood up.

"I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I can help it." He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed. Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone. "Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor." Zeus thought about this.

"All in favor?" He asked. To my surprise, a lot of hands went up. Dionysus abstained. So did Ares and Athena. But everybody else... "We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes... I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!" There are parties, and then there are huge, major, blowout parties. And then there are Olympian parties. If you ever get a choice, go for the Olympian.

The Nine Muses cranked up the tunes, and I realized the music was whatever you wanted it to be: the gods could listen to classical and the younger demigods heard hip-hop or whatever, and it was all the same sound track. No arguments. No fights to change the radio station. Just requests to crank it up. Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm-his wife, Ariadne. Dionysus looked happy for the first time. Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted.

Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation:

"Pan! Pan!" Only a few Gods came over to congratulate me. They had reduced themselves to human size. Hermes started chatting with me, and he was so cheerful. But Hermes then got a call on his caduceus and walked away. Apollo told me I could drive his sun chariot any time, and if I ever wanted archery lessons-

"Thanks," I told him. "But seriously, I'm no good at archery."

"Ah, nonsense," he said. "Target practice from the chariot as we fly over the U.S.? Best fun there is!" I made some excuses and wove through the crowds that were dancing in the palace courtyards. I was looking for Sunny. I saw him talking to Hephaestus and the two were laughing like a father and son would. I then meet up with Zoe who looked saddened.

"I'm so sorry Percy" she said. But alas history has repeated it'self."

"Dose she know?" Zoe shock her head no. "Well if she doesn't know I won't tell her."

**"Just remember both get hurt from something like this"** Riptide said appearing and took Zoe's hand. **"Shall we?"** Zoe nodded her head yes and they left for the dance floor. When I saw then start I them saw Annabeth dancing with some minor godling. Then a man's voice behind me said/

"You won't let me down, I hope." I turned and found Poseidon smiling at me.

"No."

"You've done well son." His praise made me uneasy. I mean, it felt good, but I knew just how much he'd put himself on the line, vouching for me. It would've been a lot easier to let the others disintegrate me.

"Thanks...for everything." I said. He nodded

"What about Atlas?" He asked.

"He's under a number 90 Kido and I used extra stuff to keep him there."

"I'm glad to hear. Percy I think if anyone you are the best person to gain Riptide as a partner. But remember he's alive and you can't just treat him as a weapon. Open your soul to him and he can show you more then you know." Poseidon said.

"Okay but-"; just then, Bessie started mooing from across the courtyard. Some demigods were playing with his water sphere, joyously pushing it back and forth over the top of the crowd,

"I'd better take care of that," Poseidon grumbled. "We can't have the Ophiotaurus tossed around like a beach ball. Be good, my son. We may not speak again for some time." And just like that he was gone. I stood there for a bit when another voice spoke.

"Your father takes a great risk, you know."

"Athena." I said hardly trying not to sound resentful, after the way she'd written me off in the council. She smiled dryly.

"Do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. Wise counsel is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. You are dangerous."

"You never take risks?" She nodded.

"I concede the point. You may perhaps be useful. And yet... your fatal flaw could have destroy us as well as yourself. Kronos knew your flaw, even if you didn't. He knows how to study his enemies. Think, Percy. How has he manipulated you? First, your mother was taken from you. Then your best friend, Grover. Now my daughter, Annabeth." She paused, disapproving."In each case, your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos' traps. Your fatal flaw was personal loyalty, Percy. You did not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would have sacrificed the world. In a hero of the prophecy, that was, very dangerous." I balled my fists.

"Luckily for me I am no longer fighting alone." I said.

"No but now your rage and hatred for betrayal has become your new flaw."

"I really don't care what your talking about."

"Well I will be watching, Percy Jackson. I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter. I do not think it wise for either of you. And should you begin to waver in your loyalties..." She fixed me with her cold gray stare, but then her eyes widened. It seems it has already started growing in you. Be care this power doesn't consume you."

"Percy!" Annabeth said, running through the crowd. She stopped short when she saw who I was talking to. "Oh... Mom."

"I will leave you," Athena said. "For now." She turned and strode through the crowds, which parted before her as if she were carrying Aegis.

"Was she giving you a hard time?" Annabeth asked. I could tell she was still scared of me.

"No," I said. I then drew her into a hug."I'm sorry about earlier but what Thalia did was one of the worst hings she could have done."

She studied me with concern. She touched the new streak of gray in my hair that matched hers exactly-our painful souvenir from holding Atlas's burden. Seemed I still get the effect from the clone.

"So," Annabeth said. "What did you want to tell me earlier?" The music was playing. People were dancing in the streets. I said, "I'll you about tell Riptide later but for now. I think I owe you a dance." I said the last one with a smirk. She smiled and blushed some

"All right, Seaweed Brain." So I took her hand as I led her to the spot and we enjoyed a slow dance.

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Okay there you I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. Also I have Two new story up. **Who am I?** and **The bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame. **You can go to my home page to short cut to them. Again I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always please review.


	6. Chapter 6 Things wrap up for now

**Greetings, here's a chapter for you. Hope you like it.**

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**I Get a New brother for Christmas**

Before I left Olympus, I decided to make a few to my mom to let her know Sunny was going to be staying with us, the other to my brother Tyson. Now compared to Mount Olympus, Manhattan was quiet. Twas the Friday before Christmas, early in the morning, and hardly anyone was on Fifth Avenue. Argus, picked up Annabeth, Grover, and me at the Empire State Building and ferried us back to camp through a light snowstorm. As we trudged back up Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glittered. Chiron greeted us at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches.

Grover went off with his satyr friends to spread the word about our strange encounter with the magic of Pan. Within an hour, the satyrs were all running around agitated, asking where the nearest espresso bar was. That was funny to see. Annabeth and I sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors.

"I got news," I mumbled uneasily. "_Bad_ news."

"Fill me in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!" Annabeth smiled at me gratefully, which made me look away.

For some strange reason, I found myself thinking about Hoover Dam, and the odd mortal girl I'd run into there, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I didn't know why, but her annoying comments kept coming back to me. _Do you always kill people when they blow their nose_? I was only alive because so many people had helped me, even a random mortal girl like that. I'd never even explained to her who I was.

"Luke is alive. Annabeth was right as usual." I said, the last part as it was venom on my tongue. Annabeth sat up.

"How do you know?" I tried not to feel annoyed by her interest.

"When a Person dies I can tell if they are. It's a side effect from Riptide."

"Well." Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out." I had a feeling that when she said.

"Figure something out," she meant "get Luke to change his ways," which annoyed me even more. Chiron's expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. I mean… he _was_ really old, but he usually didn't look it.

"Two years may seem like a long time," he said. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Kronos's first strike will be here."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Because the gods use heroes as their tools," Chiron said simply. "Destroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous… We must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but—"

There was a knock on the door, and Nico di Angelo came huffing into the parlor, his cheeks bright red from the cold. He was smiling, but he looked around anxiously.

"Hey! Where's… where's my sister?"

Dead silence. I stared at Chiron. I couldn't believe nobody had told him yet. And then I realized why. They'd been waiting for us to appear, to tell Nico in person. Those Jurks wanting us to deliver the news. Oh well only I knew what really happened.

"Nico." I got up from my chair. "Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk."

"Okay listen Nico," I said as we walked. "Bianca is semi dead, but in a few weeks she will be back to life. She wanted you to have this." I brought out the little god figurine Bianca had found in the junkyard. Nico held it in his palm and stared at it.

"Let me." A voice said, Bianca appeared before us dressed in a fancy kimono with skull pattern on them. "Nico. I first off we're Hades' kids. Now I may have died but I am still alive but it will take time before I can be with you again."

"But, Why?" He asked.

"My soul is adapting. And it needs time to fix itself. But I will be back soon. Just hold on for a while. Stick with Percy and you will be fine. And don't blame him I made my choice and now I have to take the consequents."

"Okay." He said sadly.

"Hey, chin up big guy. Think of this as getting a new brother."

"WHAT?" I asked.

"I'm trusting you to watch over my little brother while i'm in your head." She stated.

"Fine." I grumbled but smiled ruffling his hair.

"I'll miss you." Nico said sadly.

"I'll be back before you know it." She said fading away.

"So...Want to get some Hot chocolate?"

"Sure." He said sounding happy. I smiled. I never had a little brother that couldn't two over me. So this was a nice change and I felt sort of happy. Several days later I had a talk to Annabeth.

"Hey Annabeth."

"Hey Percy."

"Got any plan for the holidays?" Her cheeks flushed.

"I'm going to try San Francisco after all. Maybe I can keep an eye on Mount Tam, make sure the Titans don't try anything else."

"You'll send an Iris-message if anything goes wrong?" She nodded. I didn't like the thought of what was to come. Next August I would be turning fifteen. Plus I had to learn to control my new power and take care of Nico.

"All right," I said. "Just take care of yourself. And no crazy stunts in the Sopwith Camel." She smiled tentatively.

"Deal. And, Percy—" Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by Grover, who stumbled out of the Big House, tripping over tin cans. His face was haggard and pale, like he'd seen a specter.

"He spoke.'" Grover cried.

"Calm down, my young satyr," Chiron said, frowning. "What is the matter?"

"I… I was playing music in the parlor," he stammered, "and drinking coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! And he spoke in my mind!"

"Who?" Annabeth demanded.

"Pan!" Grover wailed.

"The Lord of the Wild himself. I heard him! I have to… I have to find a suitcase."

"Whoa," I said. "What did he say?"

Grover stared at me. "Just three words. He said, '_I await you…"_

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**Okay, sorry it was short. Hope you enjoyed, please review. **


	7. Chapter 7 The Shinigami returns

**Okay I know it's been awhile so here's the next chapter**

_**'**_**Bianca talk'**

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**The Shinigami returns.**

After months of training the last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school. But there I was Monday morning, the first week of June, sitting in my mom's car in front of Goode High School on East 81st. Goode was this big brownstone building overlooking the East River. A bunch of BMWs and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front. Staring up at the fancy stone archway, I wondered how long it would take me to get kicked out of this place.

"Just relax." My mom said not sounding relaxed. "It's only an orientation tour. And remember, dear, this is Paul's school. So try not to…you know."

"Destroy it?"

"Yes." Paul Blofis, my mom's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and leather jacket, he reminded me of a TV actor, but he was just an English teacher. He'd managed to convince Goode High School to accept me for ninth grade, despite the fact that I'd gotten kicked out of every school I'd ever attended. I'd tried to warn him it wasn't a good idea, but he wouldn't listen.

_'How many schools have you destroyed?'_

"Not now Bianca." I thought. My mom gave me a concerned look.

"Bianca." I said to her. She nodded her head understanding my problem. You see it is taking a longer time than we thought for Bianca's soul to return to her body. So now she's stuck in my head. It get annoying to try to do stuff when you got a girl in your head always talking.

"You haven't told Paul the truth about me, have you?" She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel. She was dressed up for a job interview—her best blue dress and high-heeled shoes.

"I thought we should wait," she admitted.

"So we don't scare him away. Or does Sunny do that by himself."

"I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy, It's only one morning."

"Great," I mumbled. "I can get expelled before I start the school year."

_'How many has that happened to you?' _

"I said shut up." I thought/roared to Bianca.

"Think positive. Tomorrow you're off to camp! After orientation, you've got your date—"

"It's not a date!" I protested. "It's just Annabeth, Mom. Jeez!"

"She's coming all the way from camp to meet you."

"Yes."

"You're going to the movies."

"Indeed."

"Just the two of you."

"We're only friends. Plus I don;t have time for a relationship." She held up her hands in surrender, but I could tell she was trying hard not to smile.

"You'd better get inside, dear. I'll see you tonight." I was about to get out of the car when I looked over the steps of the school. Paul Blofis was greeting a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon T-shirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. When she turned, I caught a glimpse of her face, and the hairs on my arms stood straight up.

"Percy?" my mom asked. "What's wrong?"

"Trouble" I said. She knew well when I said trouble that I was needed else were."Does the school have a different entrance?"

"Down the block on the right. Why?"

"I'll see you later." I said flash stepping out of the car. I couldn't make out how she would be here.

**'It's not nice to avoid a girl just because your afraid of her.' **

"Not helping Bianca." I said trying to sneak into orientation. but it didn't work out too well. Two cheerleaders in purple-and-white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush freshmen. The whole deal was not a pleasant one and I knew that before too long I would have to kill these monsters. Finally by mistake I run into Paul.

"There you are!" Paul told me. "Welcome to Goode!"

"Hey, Paul—uh, Mr. Blofis." I glanced back, but the weird cheerleaders had disappeared. They were waiting and I knew I had to be ready.

"Percy, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not for a while." Paul clapped me on the back.

"Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers know how to help."

I almost wanted to laugh. If only ADHD and dyslexia were my biggest worries. I knew Paul was trying to help, but there were things a person didn't need to know. Bad enough I see dead people. I then looked down the hall, and I remembered I had other problems. The redheaded girl I'd seen on the front steps was just coming in the main entrance.

_"_Don't notice me," I prayed.

**'This is god you shall not run from that girl.'**

That's not funny." I thought and of course that girl noticed me. Her eyes widened.

"Where's the orientation?" I asked Paul.

"The gym. That way. But—"

"See ya."

"Percy?" he called, but I was already gone. IA bunch of kids were heading for the gym, and soon I was hiding under the bleachers. I have to say with three hundred fourteen-year-olds all crammed into the bleachers. I could steal a lot of wallets. A marching band played an out-of-tune fight song that sounded like somebody hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat. All three of us wanted to shot my head off with a gun. Older kids, probably student council members, stood up front modeling the Goode School uniform and looking all, _Hey, we're cool. _Teachers milled around, smiling and shaking hands with students. The walls of the gym were plastered with big purple and-white banners that said WELCOME FUTURE FRESHMEN, GOODE IS GOOD, WE'RE ALL FAMILY, and a bunch of other happy slogans that pretty much made me want to be eaten by a hollow.

None of the other freshmen looked thrilled to be here, either. I mean, coming to orientation in June, when school doesn't even start until September, is not cool. But at Goode, "We prepare to excel early!" At least that's what the brochure said. Seriously were theses people drunk. The marching band stopped playing. Thank the Gods. A guy in a pinstripe suit came to the microphone and started talking, but the sound echoed around the gym so I had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling. Someone grabbed my shoulder,

"What are you doing here?" It was her: my redheaded nightmare.

"Oh come on." I thought.

'In hinds sight this might ont have been the best place to hide.'

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said. Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to remember her name.

"And you're Percy somebody. I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to _kill _me."

"Even if you were dead you'd still see me. What are _you _doing here?"

"Same as you, I guess. Orientation."

"You live in New York?"

"What, you thought I lived at the Hoover Dam?"

"No but I always figured she lived in the Hoover Dam area, since that's where we met."

"Fair enough." She stated.

"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde I'd seen at the entrance. "My name is Tammi, and this is like, Kelli." Kelli did a cartwheel. Rachel stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tammi started talking about all the great ways we could get involved during our freshman year.

"Run," Rachel told me. "Now."

"Agreed."

I heard Tammi explaining how we were about to break into small groups and tour the school. I found Rachel in the band room. She was hiding behind a bass drum in the percussion section.

"Get over here!" she said. "Keep your head down!"

"Not the best hiding spot." I told her.

"Did they follow you?" Rachel asked.

"No. What are they? What did you see?" Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her face that reminded me of constellations. Her maroon T-shirt read HARVARD ART DEPT.

"You…you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh, Your talking to a guy who sees dead people." I said "Plus I know you can see through the Mist."

"The what?"

"The Mist. It's like this veil that hides the way things really are. Some mortals are born with the ability to see through it. Like you."

She studied me carefully. "You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a mortal. Like you're not." I gave her a blank look.

"Tell me," she begged. "You know what it means. All these horrible things I see?"

"Alright those of the Greek myth are still alive."

"Like…the Minotaur and the Hydra?"

"Yeah, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay?"

"And the Furies," she said, warming up. "And the Sirens, and—"

"I'll give you five dollars to stop talking about them." I said holding up a five. She nodded her head and took my money.

"All those monsters," I said, "all the Greek gods they're real."

"I knew it!"

"But along with them there is a smaller race of being that have the power to harness the powers of death and protect the living souls from the souls of the dead who become evil and turn into monsters called hollow. Only those with Spiritual powers can see them. I am one of them.

"Wow."

"Indeed."

"Wait. Who are you? I mean _really?_"

"I'm a the demigod Shinigami"

"Shini what?" Just then Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room. The doors slammed shut behind them.

"There you are, Percy Jackson," Tammi said. "It's time for your orientation."

"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped. Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.

"Oh, forget her." Tammi gave me a brilliant smile and started walking toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.

They'd trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out, but Tammi had me in a spell.

"Percy," Rachel warned. I narrowed my eyes as Tammi was getting closer. She held out her pom-poms.

"Percy!" Rachel's voice seemed to be coming from a long way away.

"Snap out of it!"I got my pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide grew into a three-foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light. Tammi's smile turned to a sneer.

"Oh, come on," she protested. "You don't need that. How about a kiss instead?"

Rachel close your eyes I stated. She did and I walked up to Tammi. I leaned over to her ear and whispered if you want. And well I kissed the monster but hey she looked hot and I added some of my spiritual power and soon I had her in my spell.

"**Ride the waves Anaklusmos**"

"What?" she asked dazed and soon she was silent by the trident sticking into her body. And with that she was dust.

"okay open your eyes." I told Rachel.

"What happened where did that Trident cone from?"

"Tell ya later." I said turning to Kelli.

"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"

Then she too began to change. Her wiry hair turned into flickering flames. Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She loped toward us, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.

"I am senior empousa," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."

If the Titan under the sky lost to me what hope do you have?" I asked. She just lunged at me. Kelli was a lot faster than Tammi. She dodged my first strike and rolled into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty crash. Rachel scrambled out-of-the-way. I put myself between her and the empousa. Kelli circled us, her eyes going from me to the weapon.

"Such a pretty little weapon," she said. "What a shame it stands between us."

"Yeah watch this **Sutoraiki ****Anaklusmos."** And the water in the was drawn to my sword transforming it into the sword version.

"Oh so that's the sword that that the Gods fear." She smiled. Her form shimmered—sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty cheerleader. "Poor dear." Kelli chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, Your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time, And there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful to end your life now, before you have to see that."From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man was saying something about locker combinations. The empousa's eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"

She picked up a tuba and threw it at me. Rachel ducked and I grabbed it.

"Want to play with my rep. Well watch this. Rachel take me out of here as fast as you can." I said forcing my soul from my body. "Now you face a Shinigami." I was dressed in the standard ropes of the Shinigami and my Zanpakto seemed like it was alive again. Rachel looked at me then my body and I had to slap myself of course she would have enough spiritual power to see me. People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction.

"Time to greet our visitors!" Kelli bared her fangs and ran for the doors. I charged after her with Riptide.

"Percy, don't!" Rachel shouted. But I hadn't realized what Kelli was up to until it was too late.

Kelli flung open the doors. Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen stepped back in shock. I raised my sword.

At the last second, the empousa turned toward me like a cowering victim.

"Oh no, please!" she cried. I snapped my spirit figures and started a fire. Yeah I know I didn't want to destroy a school and of course I have to to save these people In the chaos, Rachel grabbed my body and cried. "You have to get out of here!" She was right. The school was in flames and I liked my tan on body the way it was. I threw a bongo and we sprinted for the broken band room window. We burst out of the alley onto East 81st and ran straight into Annabeth. She was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes sparkled. She looked like she was ready to catch a movie, have a cool afternoon hanging out together.

Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare, still covered in monster dust and dragging my body, came charging out of the alley, yelling, "Percy, wait up!"

Annabeth's smile melted. She stared at Rachel, then at the school, then at my lifeless body. For the first time, she seemed to notice the black smoke and ringing fire alarms.

She frowned at her. "Who are you and what did you do to him?"

"Oh, i'm Rachel and I had to carry Percy's body for him while his soul was out of it." She said. I slipped into my body and smiled at Annabeth.

"Hey wise girl how's it going?"

"What did you do?" She asked hands on her hips. Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive.

"Tell you later we got to go." I stated getting up. "Rachel I will talk to you soon." She grabbed my arm, whipped out a permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on my hand.

"You're going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."

"What do you plan to do about the heat." I asked "I'll make up some story," Rachel said. "Just go!" She ran back toward the school, leaving Annabeth and me in the street.

I stated walking and Annabeth jogged after me. "There were these two empousai," I explain. "They were cheerleaders, and they said camp was going to burn, and—"

"You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?" She spat.

"She can see through the Mist. She saw the monsters and my soul form."

"So you told her the truth?"

"She recognized me from Hoover Dam."

"You've met her before?"

"Um, last winter. But I barely know her."

"She's kind of cute." She said as if she was seeing if I had other reasons.

"I never thought about any of that." We kept walking toward York Avenue. I didn't bother to look at her. Behind us, smoke billowed up from Goode High School. In the dark column of ashes, I thought I could almost see a face—a she-demon with red eyes, laughing at me.

**"Hadō #4. ****Byakurai" **pointing at the intended target with my index finger, I can generate a concentrated bolt of lighting to use against the target. I fired at it and the face was gone.

"Alright," I told Annabeth "We have to get to Camp Half-Blood. Now."******  
**

******'Is a hour a new record for destroying a school.'**

"Shut up." I cried.

* * *

**Okay I hope you enjoyed. Please review**


	8. Chapter 8 A brothers' return

**Okay I know it's been awhile so here's the next chapter**

_**'**_**Bianca talk'**

* * *

**A brothers' return**

Nothing caps off the perfect morning like a long taxi ride with an angry shinigami. Annabeth tried to talk to me, but I was in conversation with the spirits in my head.I did hear that a monster infested spring in San Francisco.

"Any word on Luke?" I finally asked bored with Riptide and Bianca. Which they knew and were pissed.

She shook her head. I knew this was a touchy subject for her. Annabeth had always admired Luke, the former head counselor for Hermes who had betrayed us and joined the evil Titan Lord Kronos. She wouldn't admit it, but I knew she still liked him. When we'd fought Luke on Mount Tamalpais last winter, he'd somehow survived a fifty-foot fall off a cliff. Now, as far as I knew, he was still sailing around on his demon-infested cruise ship while his chopped-up Lord Kronos reformed, bit by bit, in a golden sarcophagus, biding his time until he had enough power to challenge the Olympian gods. In demigod-speak, they call this a problem.

"Mount Tam is still overrun with monsters," Annabeth said. "I didn't dare go close, but I don't think Luke is up there. I think I would know if he was."

"They must be looking for a way around my kido." I stated. Last winter I had trapped Atlas in a powerful kido spell that forever bined him to his curse. "What about Grover?"

"He's at camp," she said. "We'll see him today."

"How's Nico?"

"Fine, been waiting for you to return. He really thinks of you as his big brother."

"Well until Bianca returns or Hades sends of him. I'm all he's really got." I frowned. Truthfully I felt sorry for the kid. "Did Grover have any luck with the search for Pan?" Annabeth fingered her bead necklace, the way she does when she's worried.

"You'll see," she said. But she didn't explain. As we headed through Brooklyn, I used my new phone to call my mom. Half-bloods try not to use cell phones if they can avoid it, because broadcasting our voices is like sending up a flare to the monsters. But thanks to Sonny he and Hephaestus they made me a custom one that went around that problem. It was a gift for reuniting the two. I left a message on our home voice mail, trying to explain what had happened at Goode. I might've not done a very good job. I told my mom I was fine, she shouldn't worry, but I was going to stay at camp until things cooled down.

We rode in silence after that. The city melted away until we were off the expressway and rolling through the countryside of northern Long Island, past orchards and wineries and fresh produce stands. I stared at the phone number Rachel Elizabeth Dare had scrawled on my hand. I was tempted to call her, even if it was a crazy frankly I don't know what all I could tell her. There was still much i didn't know about the world Riptide came from, what all was tied into him, and all the powers he had. The taxi exited on Route 25A. We headed through the woods along the North Shore until a low ridge of hills appeared on our left. Annabeth told the driver to pull over on Farm Road 3.141, at the base of Half-Blood Hill. The driver frowned.

"There ain't nothing here, miss. You sure you want out?"

"Yes, please," Annabeth handed him a roll of cash, and the driver decided not to argue. Annabeth and I hiked to the crest of the hill. The young guardian dragon was dozing, coiled around the pine tree, but he lifted his coppery head as we approached and let Annabeth scratch under his chin. Steam hissed out his nostrils like from a teakettle, and he went cross-eyed with pleasure.

"Hey, Peleus," Annabeth said. "Keeping everything safe?" The last time I'd seen the dragon he'd been six feet long. Now he was at least twice that, and as thick around as the tree itself. Above his head, on the lowest branch of the pine tree, the Golden Fleece shimmered, its magic protecting the camp's borders from invasion. The dragon seemed relaxed, like everything was okay. Below us, Camp Half-Blood looked peaceful green fields, forest, and shiny white Greek buildings. The four-story farmhouse we called the Big House sat proudly in the midst of the strawberry fields. To the north, past the beach, the Long Island Sound glittered in the sunlight.

There was tension in the air, as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen. We walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. Most of the campers had arrived last Friday. The satyrs were playing their pipes in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow with woodland magic. Campers were having flying horseback lessons, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. Smoke rose from the forges, and hammers rang as kids made their own weapons for Arts & Crafts. The Athena and Demeter teams were having a chariot race around the track, and over at the canoe lake some kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent. A typical day at camp.

"I need to talk to Clarisse," Annabeth said. I rolled my eyes.

"What for?"Clarisse from the Ares cabin was one of my least favorite people. She was a mean, ungrateful bully. Her dad, the war god, wanted to kill me. She tried to beat me to a pulp on a regular basis. Other than that, she was just great.

"We've been working on something," Annabeth said. "I'll see you later."

"Working on what?" Annabeth glanced toward the forest.

"I'll tell Chiron you're here," she said. "He'll want to talk to you before the hearing."

"What hearing?" I asked getting annoyed. But she jogged down the path toward the archery field without looking back.

**"Hadō #1. Shō"** I muttered. pointing at Annabeth with him index finger, a small amount of energy is dispelled from the tip of the index fighter with enough force to thrust a considerable amount of kinetic force at a her causing her to be pushed back a few feet away. I smirked and flash stepped away.

As I made my way through camp, I said hi to some of my friends. In the Big House's driveway, Connor and Travis Stoll from the Hermes cabin were hot-wiring the camps SUV. Silena Beauregard, the head counselor for Aphrodite, waved at me from her Pegasus as she flew past. I looked for Grover, but I didn't see him. Finally I wandered into the sword arena, where I usually go when I'm in a bad mood. Practicing always calms me down.

**'Maybe that's because swordplay is one thing you can actually understand.'**

"Shut up Bianca."

**'We should look for Nico. He'll be upset we didn't go see him.' **

"Relax I can sense him, he's fine right now." I stated.

I walked into the amphitheater and my heart almost stopped. In the middle of the arena floor, with its back to me, was the biggest hellhound I'd ever seen. I mean, I've seen some pretty big hellhounds. One the size of a rhino tried to kill me when I was _this _hellhound was bigger than a tank. I had no idea how it had gotten past the camp's magic boundaries. It looked right at home, lying on its belly, growling contentedly as it chewed the head off a combat dummy. It hadn't noticed me yet, but if I made a sound, I knew it would sense me. There was no time to go for help. I pulled out Riptide and uncapped it.

"Ride the waves-!" I started before my mouth was covered. The hellhound pricked up its ears.

_"WOOF!" _I jumped back and looked at the swordsman—a gray-haired man in Greek armor.

"Whoa there!" he said. "No need for violence.!"

"_WOOF!" _The hellhound's bark shook the arena.

"That's a hellhound!" I shouted.

"She's harmless," the man said. "That's Mrs. O'Leary."

I blinked. "Mrs. O'Leary?"At the sound of her name, the hellhound barked again. I realized she wasn't angry. She was excited. She nudged the soggy, badly chewed target dummy toward the swordsman.

"Good girl," the man said. With his free hand he grabbed the armored manikin by the neck and heaved it toward the bleachers. "Get the Greek! Get the Greek!" Mrs. O'Leary bounded after her prey and pounced on the dummy, flattening its armor. She began chewing on its helmet. The swordsman smiled dryly. He was in his fifties. I guess, with short gray hair and a clipped gray beard. He was in good shape for an older guy. He wore black mountain-climbing pants and a bronze breastplate strapped over an orange camp T-shirt. At the base of his neck was a strange mark, a purplish blotch like a birthmark or a tattoo, but before I could make out what it was, he shifted his armor straps and the mark disappeared under his collar.

"Mrs. O'Leary is my pet," he explained. "I couldn't let you stick a sword in her rump, now, could I? That might have scared her."

"Who might you be?"

"Promise not to kill me if I put my sword away?"

"Maybe depends." He sheathed his sword and held out his hand.

"Quintus." I sensed no ill intent so I shook his hand. It was as rough as sandpaper.

"Percy Jackson," I said**. "**So how did you—"

"Get a hellhound for a pet? Long story, involving many close calls with a death and quite a few giant chew toys. I'm the new sword instructor, by the way. Helping out Chiron while Mr. D is away."

"Oh." I tried not to stare as Mrs. O'Leary ripped off the target dummy's shield with the arm still attached and shook it like a Frisbee.

"Mr. D is away?"

"Yes, well…busy times. Even Dionysus must help out. He's gone to visit some old friends. Make sure they're on the right side. I probably shouldn't say more than that." If Dionysus was gone, that was the best news I'd had all day.

He was only our camp director because Zeus had sent him here as a punishment for chasing some off-limits wood nymph. He hated the campers and tried to make our lives miserable. With him away, this summer might actually be cool. On the other hand, if Dionysus had gotten off his butt and actually started helping the gods recruit against the Titan threat, things must be looking pretty bad. Off to my left, there was a loud _BUMP_. Six wooden crates the size of picnic tables were stacked nearby, and they were rattling. Mrs. O'Leary cocked her head and bounded toward them.

"Whoa, girl!" Quintus said. "Those aren't for you." He distracted her with the bronze shield Frisbee. The crates thumped and shook. There were words printed on the sides, but with my dyslexia they took me a few minutes to decipher:

TRIPLE G RANCH

FRAGILE

THIS END UP

Along the bottom, in smaller letters: OPEN WITH CARE. TRIPLE G RANCH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, MAIMING, OR EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATHS.

"What's in the boxes?" I asked.

"A little surprise," Quintus said. "Training activity for tomorrow night. You'll love it."

"Maybe." I said, Quintus threw the bronze shield, and Mrs. O'Leary lumbered after it.

"You young ones need more challenges. They didn't have camps like this when I was a boy."

"You're a half-blood?" Quintus chuckled.

"Some of us _do _survive into adulthood, you know. Not all of us are the subjects of terrible prophecies."

"I care not for prophecies. I make my own destiny."

"That's good." Just then Chiron clip-clopped into the arena.

"Percy, there you are!" He must've just come from teaching archery. He had a quiver and bow slung over his #1 CENTAUR T-shirt. He'd trimmed his curly brown hair and beard for the summer, and his lower half, which was a white stallion, was flecked with mud and grass. "I see you've met our new instructor." Chiron's tone was light, but there was an uneasy look in his eyes. "Quintus, do you mind if I borrow Percy?"

"Not at all, Master Chiron."

"No need to call me 'Master'," Chiron said, though he sounded sort of pleased. "Come, Percy. We have much to discuss." I took one more glance at Mrs. O'Leary, who was now chewing off the target dummy's legs.

"Well, see you," I told Quintus.

As we were walking away, I whispered to Chiron, "Quintus. He's like me."

"How?" Chiron asked.

"When a Shinigami lose their bodies. A replacement one that looks like them is used this is called a Gigai. Quintus has a sort of spirit energy that one has when using one."

"That is interesting. We'll have to look into it. But for now, come, we should get to the woods. Grover will want you there."

"Where?"

"At his formal hearing," Chiron said grimly. "The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting now to decide his fate." Chiron said we needed to hurry, so flash stepped there. As I ran by, I glanced at the dining hall—an open-air Greek pavilion on a hill overlooking the sea. It was the first time I'd seen the place since last summer, and it brought back bad memories. Chiron plunged into the woods. Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch us pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows—monsters that were stocked in here as a challenge to the campers.

I thought I knew the forest pretty well after playing capture the flag here for two summers, but Chiron lead me a way I didn't recognize, through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall, and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers. A bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle in the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three really old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes. I'd never seen the three old satyrs before, but I guessed they must be the Council of Cloven Elders.

Grover seemed to be telling them a story. He twisted the bottom of his Tshirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn't changed much since last winter, maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans. His acne had flared up. His horns had gotten a little bigger so they just stuck out over his curly hair. I realized with a start that I was taller than he was now. Standing off to one side of the circle were Annabeth, another girl I'd never seen before, and Clarisse. Chiron dropped me next to them. Clarisse's stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna. If possible, she looked even buffer, like she'd been working out. She glared at me and muttered,

"Punk," which must've meant she was in a good mood. Usually she says hello by trying to kill me.

**'Well someone needs a man.'**

"Please, for the love of Kami. Shut up." I thought. Annabeth had her arm around the other girl, who looked like she'd been crying. She was small—petite, I guess you'd call it—with wispy hair the color of amber and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"It's going terribly," she sniffled.

"No, no," Annabeth patted her shoulders. "He'll be fine, Juniper." Annabeth looked at me and mouthed the words _Grover's girlfriend_.

"Oh thanks I didn't think my pea size brain could guess that." I mouthed back. Grover with a girlfriend? When?

Then I looked at Juniper more closely, and I realized her ears were slightly pointed. Her eyes, instead of being red from crying, were tinged green, the color of chlorophyll. She was a dryad.

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whatever Grover was trying to say. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

"B-but Silenus," Grover stammered. "It's the truth!" The Council guy, Silenus, turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chiron cantered up to the front and stood next to them. I remembered he was an honorary member of the council, but I'd never thought about it much. The elders didn't look very impressive. They reminded me of the goats in a petting zoo—huge bellies, sleepy expressions, and glazed eyes that couldn't see past the next handful of goat chow. I wasn't sure why Grover seemed so nervous Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne.

"Master Underwood, for six months—_six months_— we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak."

"But I did!"

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to…to _him_." Juniper looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Annabeth and Clarisse held her back.

"Wrong fight, girlie," Clarisse muttered. "Wait."I don't know what surprised me more: Clarisse holding someone back from a fight, or the fact that she and Annabeth, who despised each other, almost seemed like they were working together.

"For six months," Silenus continued, "we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

"I just need more time," Grover pleaded.

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus—" Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn't look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance." Grover brightened.

"Thank you!"

"One more week."

"What? But sir! That's impossible!"

"One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theater, perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But sir, I—I can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life—"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned," Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

"Excuse me." I said.

"Yes?" Silenus asked.

"If no one has found proof of Pan. Then it would be best to assume one of two things. 1.) Pan is dead, or 2.) He's underground. Food for thought." I said walking way. The old satyr clapped his hands, and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans, and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food. Grover walked dejectedly toward us. His faded blue T-shirt had a picture of a satyr on it. It read GOT HOOVES?

"Percy," he said, so depressed he didn't even offer to shake my hand. "You don't believe that do you?"

"Grover, think about it. It's the only explanations "In the distance, a conch horn sounded. Annabeth pursed her lips.

"We'd better get back to our cabins. Inspection is starting."

It didn't seem fair that I'd have to do cabin inspection when I just got to camp, but that's the way it worked. Every afternoon, one of the senior counselors came around with a papyrus scroll checklist. Best cabin got first shower hour, which meant hot water guaranteed. Worst cabin got kitchen patrol after dinner.

The problem for me: I was usually the only one in the Poseidon cabin, and I'm not exactly what you would call neat. The cleaning harpies only came through on the last day of summer, so my cabin was probably just the way I'd left it on winter break: my candy wrappers and chip bags still on my bunk, my armor for capture the flag lying in pieces all around the cabin.

**'When I get free. I'm really going to teach you how to take care of things.'**

"Just try." I told her. I raced to my cabin and saw Silena Beauregard was just coming out, checking items off the inspection scroll. I cursed under my breath. Silena was nice, but she was an absolute neat freak, the worst inspector.

She liked things to be pretty. I didn't do "pretty."

"Renegade for life." Riptide shouted, The Poseidon cabin was at the end of the row of "male god" cabins on the right side of the green. It was made of gray shell-encrusted sea rock, long and low like a bunker, but it had windows that faced the sea and it always had a good breeze blowing through it. I dashed inside, wondering if maybe I could do a quick under-the-bed cleaning job like the Hermes guys, and I found my half-brother Tyson sweeping the floor, and by brother from another mother Nico putting something away.

"Percy!" Tyson bellowed. He dropped his broom and ran at me. If you've never been charged by an enthusiastic Cyclops wearing a flowered apron and rubber cleaning gloves, I'm telling you, it'll wake you up quick.'

"Hey, big guy!" I said. "Ow, watch the ribs. The ribs." I managed to survive his bear hug. He put me down, grinning like crazy, his single calf-brown eye full of excitement. His teeth were as yellow and crooked as ever, and his hair was a rat's nest. He wore ragged XXXL jeans and a tattered flannel shirt under his flowered apron, but he was still a sight for sore eyes. I hadn't seen him in almost a year, since he'd gone under the sea to work at the Cyclopes' forges.

"Hey Percy." Nico said coming up to me

"Hey death boy." I smiled

"What's that make you? Death man?" Nico smirked.

"Shinigami works best." I replied " So you two are okay?" I asked.

"Fine." Nico said.

"Good." Tyson smiled. I looked around and realized Tyson had been busy. The floor was swept. The bunk beds were made. The saltwater fountain in the corner had been freshly scrubbed so the coral gleamed. On the windowsills, Tyson had set out water-filled vases with sea anemones and strange glowing plants from the bottom of the ocean; more beautiful than any flower bouquets the Demeter kids could whip up.

"Guys the cabin looks…amazing!" I stated. They beamed.

"See the fish ponies? I put them on the ceiling!" Tyson asked. A herd of miniature bronze hippocampi hung on wires from the ceiling, so it looked like they were swimming through the air. I couldn't believe Tyson, with his huge hands, could make things so delicate. Then I looked over at my bunk, and I saw my old shield hanging on the wall.

"You fixed it!" The shield had been badly damaged in a manticore attack last winter. But now it was perfect again—not a scratch. All the bronze pictures of my adventures with Tyson and Annabeth in the Sea of Monsters were polished and gleaming. I looked at Tyson. I didn't know how to thank him. Then somebody behind me said,

"Oh, my." Silena Beauregard was standing in the doorway with her inspection scroll. She stepped into the cabin, did a quick twirl, then raised her eyebrows at me.

"Well, I had my doubts. But you clean up nicely, Percy. I'll remember that." She winked at me and left the , Nico, and I spent the afternoon catching up and just hanging out, which was nice after a morning of getting attacked by demon cheerleaders. We went down to the forge and helped Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin with his metalworking. Tyson showed us how he'd learned to craft magic weapons. He fashioned a flaming double-bladed war axe so fast even Beckendorf was impressed.

While he worked, Tyson told us about his year under the sea. His eye lit up when he described the Cyclopes' forges and the palace of Poseidon, but he also told us how tense things were. The old gods of the sea, who'd ruled during Titan times, were starting to make war on our father. When Tyson had left, battles had been raging all over the Atlantic. Hearing that made me feel anxious, like I should be helping out, but Tyson assured me that Dad wanted us both at camp. After the forges, we spent some time at the canoe lake with Annabeth. She was really glad to see the guys, but I could tell she was distracted. She kept looking over at the forest, like she was thinking about something she had kept hidden from me.

Before dinner, Tyson, Nico, and I went down to the sword arena. Quintus was glad to have company. He still wouldn't tell me what was in the wooden crates, but he did teach me and Nico a few sword moves. The guy was good. He fought the way some people play chess—like he was putting all the moves together and you couldn't see the pattern until he made the last stroke and won with a sword at your throat.

"Good try," he told me. "But your guard is too low." He lunged and I blocked.

"Have you always been a swordsman?" I asked. He parried my overhead cut.

"I've been many things." He jabbed and I sidestepped. His shoulder strap slipped down, and I saw that mark on his neck—the purple blotch. But it wasn't a random mark. It had a definite shape—a bird with folded wings, like a quail or something.

"What's that on your neck?" I asked, which was probably a rude question, but you can blame my ADHD. I tend to just blurt things out. Quintus lost his rhythm. I hit his sword hilt and knocked the blade out of his hand. He rubbed his fingers. Then he shifted his armor to hide the mark. It wasn't a tattoo, I realized. It was an old burn…like he'd been branded.

"A reminder." He picked up his sword and forced a smile. "Now, shall we go again?" He pressed me hard, not giving me time for any more questions. While he and I fought, Tyson played with Mrs. O'Leary, who he called the "little doggie." They had a great time wrestling for the bronze shield and playing Get the Greek. Nico had decided to take a break and talked with his sister who he could see in soul form.

* * *

**Sorry it's not one of my best work. I kinda rushed this. So don't hate me for it.**


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